Wednesday, 9 February 2011

Semi-communal living

I wrote something in passing about how individual houses could be replaced by one big aircraft hangar to house whole communities where everyone stakes out their own little area proportional to how much they pay for upkeep. The more I thought about it, the more it started making a lot of sense as something between wasteful individual houses and hippy communes. You might still have to keep communal plumbing and lighting, but that's bound to be more energy and water efficient than individual houses anyway. So what do you think? Could you live in a small, private, secured area of an aircraft hangar, sharing plumbing with a few hundred other people if it meant lowering your environmental impact and relying on the superstructure for a roof over your head?

Mokalus of Borg

PS - I'm not totally sure how I'd handle it.PPS - Once I got over feeling a little bit homeless, that is.

It wouldn't necessarily be all that close. I'm thinking of a huge aircraft hangar, and individual living spaces as big as our current houses. I'd even expect dividing walls to be installed. The only difference would be centrally-controlled air conditioning, water, maybe lighting and the roof.

I've often wondered whether I could work with a smaller iteration of that concept specifically, and adaptation of the traditional commune style of living with a group of friends. This was largely in an attempt to combat increasing house prices however over time I've realised that the older I got, the less likely something like this might work. In having said that observiing my parents as they have aged ahead of me perhaps this idea may become more acceptable later in life. Perhaps that is why retirement villages work for that specific age bracket but haven't been attempted at a younger demographic.